STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Meghan Carter’s early memories revolve around the scents of cut lumber and plumbing solvent rather than typical smells associated with childhood.

As the daughter of builder and home improvement columnist Tim Carter, she often visited his job sites, and in her teen years would accompany him to editors’ conferences and trade shows. So, it’s no wonder the now-26-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio, native followed her father’s footsteps into the home industry.

“My dad was an entrepreneur as well,” said Ms. Carter, a lifestyle journalist who runs the website askthedecorator.com. “I saw from his success that it was possible; it’s what made me tackle this in the first place.”

Ms. Carter recently self-published her first book, “The Meghan Method: The Step-by-Step Guide to Decorating Your Home in Your Style,” which is sure to make her papa proud. Tim Carter is a nationally syndicated columnist whose “Ask the Builder” column appears in the Home section every Friday.

The road to her book began when the college public relations and economics major realized she wanted to do something in interior design. When she looked into getting another degree, she learned it would mean an additional five years of schooling.

“That’s when I decided to learn it the ‘back door’ way,” Ms. Carter said during a recent interview.

She devoured “every book imaginable” on interior design and traveled across the country for around two years interviewing industry experts. She created her website, which turned into a blog and featured videos from her travels. As time went on, the young woman’s inbox flooded with e-mails from viewers with design dilemmas.

THE SAME QUESTION

“I kept hearing over and over again the same question. ‘What do I choose?’” Ms. Carter remembered. “People were asking about the ‘decorating rules’ they had read or heard about. They were so confused. I wanted to answer each one personally, but didn’t have the time.”

What originally started out as a “tiny e-mail” to readers turned into nearly 400 pages. “It was definitely by accident,” the journalist said. “I was trying to help as best as I could.”

“The Meghan Method” is meant to inspire individuals to be their own designer. Ms. Carter believes her audience may be more comfortable taking advice from her since she’s not a professional designer and she herself has felt their frustration over decorating challenges.

The book features 18 steps broken into three parts – something she equates to a “decorating recipe.” The first part deals with realizing what you hope to get out of a room, including how you wish to use the space and the feeling you want to achieve when in it.

The second portion revolves around creating a plan. Once you have that, the last part, executing the project and bringing it to fruition, should be easy, she said.

“The plan is important; if you don’t have a plan you will choose things piecemeal and when it comes together, you might not like how it looks,” Ms. Carter observed, noting, “A plan keeps you from wasting money and making mistakes along the way.”

When people tackle a project, the first thing they do is go shopping, which, she said, is “jumping 17 steps ahead in the process.” Take the time to think the design through and figure out how every object will look in the finished space.

Another piece of advice Ms. Carter offers is to “trust your gut.” People often don’t listen to that initial inner voice telling them whether they love or hate something, and end up with a piece that doesn’t quite fit their style.

When it comes down to it, the author’s “method” is simple: By following a decorating recipe, anyone can unleash their inner interior designer.

“I want people to feel empowered so they don’t feel like they’re design-deficient anymore,” Ms. Carter said. “People feel they can’t do it so they shun the topic. I don’t want people to feel ashamed of their home ...

“I want them to know their style, what they truly love, which ultimately, is part of their happiness.”